Trimming machine



oct. 14, 1941.

E. H. OBERHOLSER ETAL TRlMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1940 Patented ct. A14, 194i Edward H. Oberholser and William Ward, Troy,

and` Thomas Bramiitt, Watervliet, N. Y., assignors to Cluett, Peabody &. Co., Inc., Troy, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 15, 1940, Serial No. 319,100

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in a trimming machine; more particularly in a machine for trimming the tips of collars and the like. i

In making collars it4 is the usual practice to stitch the faces of the layers forming the collar together and then Yto turn the formed collar inside out so that the faces of the outer layers are exposed. The lines of stitching at the points of Vthe collar meet at angles usually acute, and

when the blank is turned inside out the tips of the blank which enter these angles cause bulging and an undesired thickness at the points.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a machine by which the tips of the collar are trimmed before the collar is turned inside out and thereby to remove the excess material.

A further object of this invention is to -provide a machine for this purpose which includes a form on which the collar to be trimmed is supported, a platen on which the collar is held by the form, a blade carried by the platen and a blade movable at right angles to the-platen and coacting with the forward edge of the rst-named blade to trim the tip of the collar.

Another object of this invention is to provide a trimming machine comprising a pairof blades mounted at right angles to each other, one blade having a convex V-shaped cutting `edge and the other blade having a concave V-shaped cutting edge, means yieldably holding the cutting edges of the blades in contact and means for moving one blade in a path at right angles to the other blade to shear material between the cutting edges.

These and other objects flow from the construction set forth in the following description and upon theaccompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 illustrates in side elevation a machine embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the shearing blade in such machine;

Fig. 4 is a View in elevation of the blank carrying -form with a portion of a blank thereon; and

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate apoint of a collar blank in reversed and normal positions, respectively.

The machine lll shown vin the drawing includes a base plate l5 upon which, as will be hereinafter set forth, the various instrumentalities are mounted. A reciprocable platen I6 is mounted upon the base plate I5 between guide rails Il. In a recess I8 formed in the top face of the -platen and open at one end thereof is a 55 -blade xed in `position by screws 2-i. rThe forward end -of the blade 20 projects from the open end-of the recess I S-beyond the end ofthe platen IGand is provided with a convex V-shaped 'beveled cutting edge 22, as indicated in Fig. l. At the rear end of the platen I6 is formed a recess 23. A spring is coiled at its-center around a stud 25 xed in the base plate l5, and the ends of the spring are received in notches at the end of lthe-platen. Asshown in Fig. 2, the stud 25 is located substantially at the longitudinal center line of the platen and the spring 25 spans the recess 23- and yieldably urges the platen to advance, i. e., travel tothe left in Figs. 1 and 2.

Reciprocable ina path at right angles to the plane of the base plate l5 is a post 30 upon the upper end of which `is securely Xed a head 3i. -Depending from the under face of the plate l5 is a block 32, here-shown as vertically split, having a central passagethrough which the post 3B extends. The post is enclosed below the block 32 by a sleeve33-seated in a cup 34 to which it is threaded or otherwise removably attached. A ring or plate 35 is interposed -between the block 32 and vsleeve 33, and the base plate-l5, block 32, ring 35 and sleeve 33 are connected by welding or other means,forming a guide housing in which the Apost may move vertically. A collar 36, adjustably held upon the post 30 below the cup 34 by a Iset screw 3l limits the upward travel of the post. A coil expansion spring 38 surrounds the post Within the sleeve 33, bearing at its upper end upon a .pin 39 .extending through the post and at its lower end upon the cup 34. This spring acts tohold the post in the position shown in the drawing, .and yieldably resists the downward travel thereof. That portion of the post which passes through the block 32 is made noncircular, preferably. rectangular or hexagonal, and the passage in'the block is correspondingly shaped so that the post is prevented from rotating relative to the base plate I5.

vFixed to the head `3| is a cutting blade 48 whose cutting edge, of lconcave V-shaped contour, lies in a plane which inclines upwardly and rearwardly with reference to the front of the blade.

. The blade 46 consists of a block shaped at its forward side toprovide a V-shaped trough having the verticalsurfaces 4I and lla which intersect along the line 42 to form a dihedral angle. The rear side of the block is beveled as shown at 40a (Fig. 1). The lower edges-4|X and MY of the surfaces 4| and Ala, respectively, constitute the cutting Vedge of-thelbladeffl, such edges lying in a plane which slopes upwardly and rearwardly from the front face of the blade. These edges extend upwardly and rearwardly from the points 4in and 41m and intersect at the point 45x which is located substantially above the horizontal plane of the points 4 ln and 41m.

The V-shaped cutting edges 22 of the blade 20 always contact the surfaces 4i and 4Ia of the blade 45, but when the latter is fully raised the upper surface of the blade 20 is below the point 45X of the blade 40, leaving a space for the introduction of the` point of the collar which is supported by the horizontal blade 20.

Mounted upon the base plate I5 is a form 45 which is of thin flexible material, preferably spring steel, and substantially V-shaped at its upper end (see Figs. 2 and 4). 'I'he form 45 is supported at its lower end in a block 46 pivotedl The bracket 41 has onits upon a bracket 41. lower Side a tongue which extends through a slot 43 in the base plate l5. A plate 49, connected by screws to the tongue, projects beyond the sides of the slot 48 below the base plate and thus holds the bracket 41 in the slot. The bracket 41 has spaced upstanding ears 5I) which receive the re spective ends of a pivot pin 5i passed through a tongue 52 projecting from the block 46 between the ears 55. The ears 5U are also shaped to limit the pivotal movement of the block, as shown in Fig. 1. A spring 53 normally yieldably holds the block 46 and form 45 in the position shown in full lines in Fig. l. The slot 48 is of such length that the bracket 41 may be moved toward or from the blade 40 and suitable means, such for example as the screw 54 and locking nut 55, are provided to adjust and hold it in any desired position.

The machine I is here shown mounted upon a table or bench 56 having a hole 51 therethrough to receive the block 32. Preferably, as here shown, the thickness of the table is equal to the length of the block so that the table is clamped between the bed plate I and the ring 35. The machine is suitably xed to the table as by screws 53 (Fig. 2) through the bed plate.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a portion of a collar 55 which may be trimmed in this machine. The collar comprises several plies, including a facing ply and a rear ply. The facing and outer plies which are exposed in the nished collar are rst assembled wrong side out and united along their edges. The stitching forms a corner from which ordinarily projects a sharp tip 52 including portions of the front and rear plies and the interlining if an interliner be used. The collar is now turned inside out and, when iinished, its

corner should appear as in Fig. 6. However, when a collar having such a tip 62 is turned, the material forming the tip 62V crow'dsinto the corner from the intersecting edges of the latter, and forms an objectionable lump or bulge at the point of the collar. The effect thereof may to some extent be eliminated by heavy pressing after the collar has been turned but is completely and effectively removed by trimming 01T the tip 62 preferably along a V-shaped line 63 (see Fig. 5) before the collar is turned.

The machine herein shown is designed to trim off the surplus material of the tip. In using the machine for this purpose the collar 50, before turning, is slipped o-ver the upper end of form 45. The free end of the form is so shaped to conform to the contour of the collar point so that the collar can be located quickly and accurately. The operator now swings the form down upon the platen I6, as shown in dotted lines onv Fig. 1,

with the tip 62 projecting beyond the edge 22 of the blade 20. The post 30 is now caused to descend, for example by means of a pedal (not shown), whereupon the tip 62 is trimmed oi by the blades 25 and 45. The form 45, which is held down by the operator during trimming is now released and returns with the collar to its normal upright position.

It will be noted that the blades 2E! and 40 are at all times in contact, being yieldably so held by the spring 25. The angle of the edge 22 of the blade 20 is slightly more acute than that of the edge 4l of the lblade 40 (see Fig. 2 where dotted lines complete the edge 22). As the blade 40 descends, the points of contact between the edges of the blades shift and the blade 25 moves back against the urge of the spring 25 in response to the cutting pressure, thereby progressively cutting off the surplus tip material E2 along the lines 53 by a shear action.

In the drawing the blade 25 is shown as convex and the blade 49 as concave. Obviously this arrangement can be reversed, the blade 2i) being concave and the blade 45 convex. Moreover, the angle at which the point of the collar may be altered as desired depending upon the shape of the collar or other material to be trimmed.

While one embodiment of this invention and its use in trimming a collar have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that other embodiments may be made for the same or other uses without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth.

We claim:

l. A trimming machine comprising a pair of blades, one blade having a convex cutting edge, the other blade having a concave cutting edge, means for yieldably holding the cutting edges in contact, means for moving one of said blades relative to the other, and a form upon which the article is supported, with the portion to be trimmed ,between the cutting edges of the blades, said form being pivotally mounted adjacent the blades.

2. A trimming machine comprising a pair of blades, one blade having a convex cutting edge, the other blade having a concave cutting edge, means for yieldably holding the cutting edges in contact, means for moving one of said blades relative to the other, and a form upon which the article is supported, with the portion to be trimmed between the cutting edges of the blades, said form being pivotally mounted adjacent the blades and normally held yieldably out of operative relation with the blades.

3. A trimming machine comprising a pair of blades, one blade having a convex cutting edge, the other blade having a concave cutting edge, means for yieldably holding the cutting edges in contact, means for moving one of said blades relative to the other, and a form upon which the article is supported, with the portion to be trimmed between the cutting edges of the blades, said form being pivotally mounted adjacent the blades and movable into contact with one of said blades and normally held yieldably out of such contact.

v 4. A trimming machine comprising a pair of blades movable at right angles to each other, one blade having a convex V-shaped cutting edge, the other blade having a concave V-shaped cutting edge, the angle of the convex cutting edge being more acute than the angle of the concave cutting edge, means acting upon the first-named blade to hold its cutting edge yieldably in contact with the second-named blade, and means for moving the second-named b-lade toward the rst-named blade at right angles thereto, Whereby the second-named blade causes the rstnamed blade to move in opposition to the urge of of yielding means in combination with a pivotally mounted form adapted to support the material to be trimmed, said form being movable toward the first-named blade to present the portion of the material to be trimmed over the cutting edge thereof into 'the path of the cutting edge of the second-named blade and hold it in such position while the rst-named blade is moved by the second-named blade during the shearing opera--t tion.

5. A trimming machine comprising a pair of blades, each blade being integral and movable in a path at right angles to the path in which the other blade moves, one of said blades having a concave V-shaped cutting edge and the other of said blades having a convex V-shaped cutting edge, means for positively reciprocating one of said blades, and means for yieldably advancing the other blade toward the positively reciprocated blade, so that the cutting edges of the blades are in Contact and the tip of the blade having a convex cutting edge is in the space dened by the concave cutting edge of the other blade whereby as the positively reciprocated blade is advanced the other blade is retracted against the urge of the yieldably acting means and a progressive shearing action is set up.

6. A trimming machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein the blade having a concave V-shaped cutting edge is positively reciprocated and the blade having a convex V-shaped cutting edge is yieldably advanced. 

